Make school spirit accessible to all! Learn how to create audio description for college fight song and gameday cheers for low vision and blind students

As an undergrad student at George Mason University, I was a member of the GMU Green Machine pep band and played bass clarinet in the stands for many home basketball games and other university events. Being in Green Machine introduced me to many amazing friends,…

When I first started learning clarinet with low vision, I was the only visually impaired musician and only clarinet player in my elementary school band. My director (who was also a clarinet player) spent a lot of time explaining different concepts verbally, always made sure…

Tips for musicians participating in concert band programs with visual impairment, based on my experiences as a clarinet player with low vision

Strategies I use for reading music on an iPad, and how to set up iPad for reading digital sheet music for musicians with low vision

Shortly before my second year of college, I received a few orientation and mobility lessons for learning how to navigate with low vision and a blindness cane. These lessons were helpful for learning general travel skills, but I noticed they didn’t get into specifics about…

Many school band programs have a uniform requirement for specific ensembles, which can consist of a mix of school-owned pieces (such as a marching band jacket) and items purchased by the musician like shoes or pants in a specific color. Musicians that experience sensitivity to…

How I organized a large print music binder with over 80 songs for college pep band as a bass clarinet player with low vision

A while ago, a clarinet player with low vision asked me if I had any tips for how to read marching band drill sheets and talking to their director about marching with low vision. The conversation made me think of my time in marching band…

How I participated in high school marching band with a vision impairment, thanks to an optimistic band director

Recently, I received a question from the parent of a middle school-aged musician with low vision asking about options for watching the conductor with low vision. The student said that they have trouble seeing the conductor from where their section is located, and it often…

When I was first learning to play clarinet and saxophone, my instructors would often tell me to look at the fingering chart printed in the back of the music book to figure out the proper hand positions for a note I was learning. This wasn’t…